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Lake of coal: The disappearance of a mining township

Citation: UNSPECIFIED.

[thumbnail of Cook, D. (2006)  Lake of Coal: the Disappearance of a Mining Township. Published by Craig Potton Publishing & Ramp Press.] PDF (Cook, D. (2006) Lake of Coal: the Disappearance of a Mining Township. Published by Craig Potton Publishing & Ramp Press.)
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Abstract

Lake of Coal explores the social and economic factors that have shaped Rotowaro, the site of the North Island's largest coal-mining operation. Working with documentary photography and oral history practices, the author investigated this site over a twenty year period beginning in 1984.

The research project investigated two phases in the history of the location:

1. 1984-1995: Describes aspects of a 400-strong mining village, and follows its eventual evacuation in preparation for an expanding opencast mining operation.
2. 1995-2004: Describes the opencast mining operation that exploits the coal underlying the former village site.

The book itself was written and designed over a two year period. The author and graphic designer Jonty Valentine worked collaboratively in producing a manuscript that draws together image and text, creating a multi-vocal, layered representation of history. The central research question during this collaborative design process was: “How can a current understanding of the nature of text extend the conventional codes operating within the practice of book design?

Item Type: Book
Additional Information: Montana Book Awards finalist, 2007. Published in conjunction with Ramp Press in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Uncontrolled Keywords: Documentary photography, oral history, mining, narrative, multivocality
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
D History General and Old World > DU Oceania (South Seas)
Divisions: Schools > School of Media Arts
Depositing User: David Cook
Date Deposited: 16 Mar 2009 22:19
Last Modified: 21 Jul 2023 02:15
URI: http://researcharchive.wintec.ac.nz/id/eprint/122

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